I. Report Information

For information about, or a paper copy of, this FOIA Report contact: Ramona Oliver, National Archives FOIA Officer, 8601 Adelphi Rd., College Park, MD 20740, 301-837-1750
or 301-837-0293 (fax). An electronic version of the report is available at: http://www.archives.gov/foia/reports/1999.html.

II. Access to Records at the National Archives

For general information on access to records at the National Archives see our home page. The web site: describes our holdings of permanently valuable records;
provides guides to the records; explains the procedures for gaining access to
these records; gives directions to our facilities; and lists the hours when
our research rooms are open. Specific information on making a FOIA request can
be found in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Reference Guide.

III. Definitions of Terms and Acronyms Used in the Report

Specific terms used in the National Archives' FOIA Report

FOIA/PA request: a request in which the requestor specifically cites
either the Freedom of Information Act or the Privacy Act.

NARA: the National Archives and Records Administration

Basic terms, expressed in common terminology

FOIA/PA request: Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act request.
A FOIA request is generally a request for access to records concerning
a third party, an organization, or a particular topic of interest. A Privacy
Act request is a request for records concerning oneself; such requests
are also treated as FOIA requests. (All requests made citing either Act,
are included in this report.)

Initial Request: a request to a federal agency for access to records
under the Freedom of Information Act.

Appeal: a request to a federal agency asking that it review at a
higher administrative level a full denial or partial denial of access to
records under the Freedom of Information Act, or any other FOIA determination
such as a matter pertaining to fees.

Processed Request or Appeal: a request or appeal for which an agency
has taken a final action on the request or the appeal in all respects.

Multi-track processing: a system in which simple requests requiring
relatively minimal review are placed in one processing track and more voluminous
and complex requests are placed in one or more other tracks. Requests in
each track are processed on a first-in/first out basis. A requester who
has an urgent need for records may request expedited processing (see below).

Expedited processing: an agency will process a FOIA request on an
expedited basis when a requester has shown an exceptional need or urgency
for the records which warrants prioritization of his or her request over
other requests that were made earlier.

Simple request: a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track
processing places in its fastest nonexpedited) track based on the volume
and/or simplicity of records requested.

Complex request: a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track
processing places in a slower track based on the volume and/or complexity
of records requested.

Grant: an agency decision to disclose all records in full in response
to a FOIA request.

Partial grant: an agency decision to disclose a record in part in
response to a FOIA request, deleting information determined to be exempt
under one or more of the FOIA's exemptions; or a decision to disclose some
records in their entireties, but to withhold others in whole or in part.

Denial: an agency decision not to release any part of a record or
records in response to a FOIA request because all the information in the
requested records is determined by the agency to be exempt under one or
more of the FOIA's exemptions, or for some procedural reason (such as because
no record is located in response to a FOIA request).

Time limits: the time period in the Freedom of Information Act for
an agency to respond to a FOIA request (ordinarily 20 working days from
proper receipt of a "perfected" FOIA request).

"Perfected" request: a FOIA request for records which adequately
describes the records sought, which has been received by the FOIA office
of the agency or agency component in possession of the records, and for
which there is no remaining question about the payment of applicable fees.

Exemption 3 statute: a separate federal statute prohibiting the
disclosure of a certain type of information and authorizing its with holding
under FOIA subsection (b)(3).

Median number: the middle, not average, number. For example, of
3, 7, and 14, the median number is 7.

Average number: the number obtained by dividing the sum of a group
of numbers by the quantity of numbers in the group. For example, of 3,
7, and 14, the average number is 8.

number of times each FOIA exemption used (counting each exemption once per appeal)

Exemption 1 5

Exemption 2 4

Exemption 3 0

Exemption 4 4

Exemption 5 0

Exemption 6 2

Exemption 7(A) 0

Exemption 7(B) 0

Exemption 7(C) 0

Exemption 7(D) 0

Exemption 7(E) 0

Exemption 7(F) 0

Exemption 8 0

Exemption 9 0

Other reasons for nondisclosure (total) 10

no records 0

referrals 0

request withdrawn 0

fee-related reason 0

records not reasonably described 0

not a proper FOIA request for some other reason 10

not an agency record 0

duplicate request 0

other (specify) 0

VII. Compliance with Time Limits/Status of Pending Requests

Median processing time for requests processed during the year.

Simple Requests

number of requests processed
6,145

median number of days to process
53

Complex Requests

number of requests processed 361

median number of days to process 267

Status of pending requests.

Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year 1,869

Median number of days that such requests were pending as of that date

archival records 250

personnel records 53

VIII. Comparisons with Previous Year(s) (Optional)

Comparison of numbers of requests received

6,606 in FY 1998 v. 7,022 in FY 1999

Other statistics significant to agency

In addition to the FOIA/PA requests described above, in FY 99 the National Archives staff
responded to

105,789 written requests for archival records

1,925,113 requests for military and civilian personnel files

The National Archives' complex FOIA requests took 267 days to process in FY 99. 96% of
these complex FOIA requests were for records that the National Archives must refer to other
agencies for a declassification review. These requests cannot be completed
until the agencies reviewing for declassification respond to the National Archives with
a decision on the status of the documents.

80 percent of our FOIA requests are for veterans' records at the National
Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. Only 28.8 percent of these requests
were answered within 20 working days. Service backlogs at the center are
what prompted us to undertake a business process reengineering project
there. We are in the pilot phase now, and when all the recommendations
are fully implemented, we will be able to meet our response time standards.